A $750,000 federal stimulus grant that will help fund a 1.2 mile Housatonic River Greenway Bicycle-Pedestrian Trail has been approved for Stratford, state Representatives Lawrence G. Miller and John Harkins said today.
“The Housatonic River Bicycle–Pedestrian Trail this grant will help fund is a continuation of a bicycle path project I helped initiate when I was a Stratford City Councilman and a member of the Parks and Recreation Commission. I’m very pleased that this long-awaited project will be completed thanks to the federal stimulus grant the city will be receiving soon,” said Representative Miller, R-122nd District.
“Stratford has so much potential for economic growth. This project will improve the quality of life in our town and encourage more people to visit and patronize local businesses. The Greenway Bicycle-Pedestrian Trail is one project I’m glad to see move forward,” said Representative Harkins,” R-120th District. “It is a worthwhile investment in the future of our city.”
The funding was part of a total of $162 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (Stimulus) funding for projects throughout the state approved today by Governor Rell’s Connecticut Recovery Working Group.
The ‘shovel-ready’ project will consist of a combination of off-road multi-use trails for bicyclists and pedestrians. The trail will extend from the rest and viewing area within the Stratford Point parcel through Short Beach Park, a distance of about 1.2 miles. The trail will be constructed as close to the waterfront as practical, the legislators said.
The project will:
- Improve air quality, promote air quality and reduce congestion on city streets.
- Offer a wide variety of both active and passive recreational activities.
- Provide an overall health benefit to bicyclists and pedestrians who use the trail.
The entire trail area consists of about 127 acres. The multi-use 1.16 mile trail is separated from traffic. The surface will be paved but will have soft shoulders, the legislators said.
